Air-pipe coupling.



L. C. BONELLI.

AIR PIPE COUPLING.

APPLlcATloN FILED sPr.23.191e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 4?, 1917.

Nits raars' tirarme,

LBORIOiC. BONELLI, 0F -SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

Varia-rien oonrLIive.

reaaooe. i

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec., de, lmllf.,

Y Y application inea september 23,1516. serial ivo. 121,772.

To all whom t may concern.'

' Be it known that LLionio BoNELLi, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at 'San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in irPipe Couplings,

of which the following is a specification.

VThe present invention relates to improvements in couplers for air or other ffiu'id pipes. The improvement is primarily designed `for connectingthe fluid pipes of'an air brake "system `between the` locomotive and coaches of railway trains, but is,` of course7 susceptible for use in other connections, and the yprimary object of the invention is to vproduce a coupling wherein the coupler Vfroin each other the fluid passage therethrough will be instantly and automatically stopped.

It isa still further `object of the invention to produce coupling members for fluids or like bodies under pressure, which 'includes co-engaging hollow or cup-like heads pro vided with interengaging elements which co engage when the said heads are brought together and so form an air tight joint between the said heads, reach of the said heads vbeing provided with a nipple member connected with the source of supply and each of the said heads having arranged therein a valve provided with Aa stem andl thestem of each of the said valves being arranged to interengage and to operate the valve after the coupling heads have been brought to interlocking position, and thereby to prevent the escape of the fluid from between the heads of the4 couplery and lto positively insure the passage thereof through the nipples, and consequently through the pipes connected with the nipples and arranged within the s'ystem,`so that the brakes,`,when the device is employed upon railway coaches, or the like," will be` positively and instantaneously applied.

lt is a'stillfurther object of the invention to produce a coupling means for air brake Hsystems' wherein each of the coupler members includes a hollow head to which one of the inlet pipes of the system is connected, to

provide means whereby the said heads may be movable in a horizontal direction, to provide each of the heads with directing fingers that are adapted to co-engage, when the said `heads are brought together', whereby to partially revolve the heads to permitinterengaging elements upon the said heads associating and form an air-tight `joint be* tween the heads, `each of the heads being provided with a ported valve seat and a spring pressed valve engagingV the seat and closing the port thereof, the stemsV of the said valves being forked or otherwise Jformed with intcrengaging` elements whereby to engage one another to unseat the respective valves afterthe head members have been brought tor interlocking engagement,

means being provided for returning the head and the valve to their initial position when the deviceis uncoupled.

It is a still further object of the invention to produce a coupling for an air brake system, or the like, including hollow heads oonnected with the main pipes of the system 4and being pivotally secured to a suitable support, whereby the saine may be readily and automatically brought into interengagement, each of the heads being provided with spaced tongues and grooves that, when the said heads are brought together, are disposed to interengage and to be guided into such engagement Yby suitable directing fingers upon thc said head, each of the said heads having arranged therein a ported valve seat, the seat of the said valve being cam-shaped and a spring pressed cam-shaped valve engaging the seat and closing the ports of the said seat, the said valves being provided with stems that pass centrally through the seats andwhich have their outer ends forked so that when the forked end of one of the stems engages with the other forked end of the4 other stem, after the coupling heads have been connected, the valves will be forced from their seats and a continuous inafter more fullyl described, illustratedand claimed.

The essential features ofthe invention 1n- ,volved in the provisionof a coupler for pneumatic or similar fluid systems is necessarily susceptible to a wide range in structural modification without departing` from the spirit of the invention, but preferable illustrative ,embodiments of the Vlatter are shown in thef accompanying drawings, in which.:

Figure 1 is aside elevation illustrating part lof two coaches provided withy an air brake system having the respective pipes therefor yconnected in accordance with my invention, l y i Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same, .parts `beingbroken away andv parts being shown in section and showing the arrangement of parts when thecoupler members are brought together with `heads unlocked,

Fig. Sis a view similar to Fig. 2'but illustrating the arrangement of parts when the respective coaches are moved one toward the other ,the interlocking of the'cou'pler inembers completed, Y

Fig. 4E is anA enlarged seetionalview approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of the coupler members,

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of one of the valve seats,

. Fig. 7 is a sectional view approximately on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6,v

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the valve,

Fig. 9y isa sectional view approximately on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view approximately on the line 10 1O of Fig. 1L

r`While in the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the improvement as providing a coupler between the air pipes of anvair brake system for railway coaches or thelike, it is to be understood that the 1mrovement is not to be thus restricted in its 'useful'application, as the same may be employed with equal etieiency for connecting rvthe pipes of any construction of tluidsystems.

VIn the accompanying drawings the numerals 1 1 indicate the lconfronting ends of twof railway coaches. Connected to the said lends of the coaches and depending therebelow 'are members 2 2 towhich aresecured the supporting members 3 of the improvement. Fach of the supports 3 preferably comprises a member which-is substantially U-shaped in plan, the inner ends of the'parallel arms of which being either integrally formed with or connected to the member 2, while the outer or connecting member for the arms of the element 3 is preferably rounded, as indicated by the numeral 4, and a transverse element 5 is connected with and retains the arms of the member 8 in proper spaced relation. The member 5, is provided with spaced ears 6 6 and the said member, between the ears, is slotted, whereby the end of a shaft 7 may be pivotally secured between the said ears and be projected through theslot in thev said member The shaft 7 outward' of its pivotal connection between the ears is provided with spirally arranged ribs, as indicated by the numeral 8, the purpose' for which arrangement will be presently set forth.' l

As'both of the coupler members are of a similar construction and as the same are similarly connected with the supports, and also as the valve mechanism carried b y each ofthe coupler members is substantially of a similar' construction, the reference charac ters indicating'the parts of one of the conplers may be taken as equally applicable to the parts of theother coupler.

Each ofthe couplers includes a substantially cup-shaped head 9 which is oli' course `hollow and which has secured thereon or formed therewith a nipple member 10, con nected with a iiexible pipe 11 of the air brake system. Formed with each ot' the heads 9, and arranged centrally thereof and extending"rearwardly therefrom is a Sleeve 12, the said sleeve having its bore provided with spirally arranged grooves 13 and these grooves are adapted to co-engage with the spiral ribs S upon the member 7. The sleeve 12 has its outer end formed with an enlargement' or head 1l, the sleeve proper being arranged in an lelongated opening 15 in the arcuate connecting member or end l for the arms of the support 3. Surrounding the shaft 7 and exerting va pressure between the member 5 andthehead' 1-l of the sleeve 12 isa helical spring 16 which is adapted to normally force the head 9 to a determined position away from the support 3.

The confronting ends ol" the heads of the respective coupler membersv are each provided with outwardly exteliding directing fingers 17, the contacting corners of the said lingers being rounded in opposite directions as indicated by the numerals 1S, whereby when the heads are brought together, the same will be imparted a rotary movement in opposite'directions', it being understood that the spirals S of the shaft 7, and the spiral grooves 13 in the sleeves 12 of the respective coupler heads are oppositely disposed and therefore a contacting engagement between the heads will cause the said heads to be rotated against eachother but in opposite directions, andit will be' further Vportion at the outer ends of the said heads understood that as long assuiiicient pressure is Vretained'between the heads as to overcome the pressure of the springs 16, the said heads will be retained in co-engaging relation. Y .l f

To insure the interlocking of the yheads when. the same are forced against each other, `as when the cars are brought together, in

coupling, and when the air brake system of the` respective coaches is to be connected, I `provide the outer or confronting edge `of each ofthe said heads with a Vtongue 19 `which may be wedge-shaped, or in Aother words, gradually decrease in width from oneof its ends to its opposite end, and further I arrange upon each ofthe heads, diaserve as guiding means for the heads when vthe same areV rotated aswell as means for preventing the lateral disalinement of the heads. i

Each of the heads at the outerends thereof is provided with `a continuous depressed portion 50 andformed in the said depressed are circumferentially arranged spaced ribs 5l, two of such ribs being provided upon each of the heads and the ends of the said ribs being suitably spaced to permit of the directing lingers 17 being arranged therebetween when the coupler heads are brought together. rlhe fingers 17 are provided with depending lugs -52which when the coupler heads are rotated are designed'to travel 1n the annular channels vformed by the peripheral depressions 50 and the ribs 51 to effect in locking the heads associated.

Each of the heads 9 upon the inner or end wall thereof is preferably centrally provided with a lug 21 to receive one yend of a convolute spring 22. The other end of this spring surrounds the inner end of a stem 23 which is connected to a valve 24. The valve is preferably in the nature of` a flat diskshaped member and has its inner orvseatmg face formed with oppositely disposed camshaped enlargements 25-25, the said camshaped surfaces normally contacting with similar cam-shaped surfaces 26 upon the central and outwardly bulged portion 27 of a valve seat 28. The stem 23 projects centrally through the referred to bulged portion 27 of the valve seat 28, andthe sides of the said bulged portion are provided with ports or openings 29, the said openings being normally closed by the valve 24:. The seating face of the valve is provided with a compressible gasket 30, whereby to insure the proper seating of the valve, the valve being normally retained seated and closing `at a right angle with relation. to each other `and the confronting or contacting edges of the said fingers of the respective valvesbeing preferably inclined or beveled to engage and Vlongitudinally associate the respective valves when the heads are brought together. The valve seats Z8 being` secu ed to the rcspective heads, of course, turn in unison with the said heads and when the .fingers 32 of the valve stems are associated as just described, the turning of the valve seats cause its cam elements 2G to ride over the cam elements 25 of the valves 2li, causingthe said valvesas well the-stems thereof to move longitudinally in an unscating direction to uncover theports 29 in the valve seats 98, and consequently permit of the fluid passing through the nipples of the respective heads and through the said heads.

ln addition to the coi-engaging tongues and grooves in the heads, which, it is to be understood, are not necessarily tapered. l arrange within each of the hollow heads a compressible ring, and the ends of these rings are adapted to contact when the heads v are brought into interlocking engagement,

and thus the tight vengagement between the heads and the positive sealing` of the joint therebetween is more effectively insured.

The construction of the device is such that the contacting engagement of the compressible rings 33 insure an air tight connection between the coupler heads before the valve stems are actuated to unseat the valve, so that an air tight joint is provided between the said coupler heads before the ports in the valve seats are uncovered, and by the interlocking engagement with the lugs of the fingers 17 with the `ribs 5l of the heads 9, it will be readily apparent that the escapeA of the fluid will be positively prevented. y. U

It will be apparent that by rounding the corners of the fingers 17 as illustrated in the drawings, the same, should the headsbe slightly out of alinement, will serve as directing elements when contacting one with the other to partially turn the said heads and to permit of the contacting edges of the fingers sliding one upon the other to bring the said heads into proper contacting relation.

The construction is comparativelv simple and may be readily applied to any system wherein fluid pipes are t0 be automatically connected, and the advantages of the coupler will, in view ofthe foregoing description, be apparent to those skilled in the art Vto which such invention appertains without further detailed description. Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim is: f

Y 1. In a coupling means for penumatic or similar pipes, supports, pivoted elements upon the supports, hollow heads associated with said elements and disposed for'rotary movement thereon when the heads are brought into contacting engagement, directing means for the heads, interlocking means for the heads, valves in the said heads and normally closing the air pipes therefor, and means, comprising mechanism associated with the valves for unseating the same after the heads are connected.

2. In a coupler for penumatic or similar systems, a support, a spiral shaft pivoted to said supports and movable laterally thereon, a hollow coupler head having a sleeve provided with a spiral bore receiving the shaft, spring meansv between the shaft and sleeve, directing fingers for the hollow head, a tongue upon 'one side of the outer end of the head, a groove upon the other side of the said end of the head whereby, when two of such heads are brought to contacting position the tongue of one of the heads will be received in the groove of the other head, and

'the said heads rotated by the virtue of such -a spiral shaft pivotally secured to each of said supports and laterally movable with respect to said supports, a hollow coupler head 'connected with the pneumatic system, sleeve having a spiral bore for each of the heads and co-engaging with the respective spiral shafts, tension means between the shafts and sleeves, a spring pressed valve in each of the heads, a ported seat for each of the valves, a stem for each of the valves passing centrally through each of the seats, and said stems having interengaging heads adapted to co-act to unseat the respective valves'when the coupler heads have been brought to interlockingk engagement.

l; In a coupling means for pneumatic or similar systems, oppositely disposed hollow heads arranged for contacting engagement, means for permitting a limited longitudinal and rotary movement of the heads when the latter are brought into contacting relation, interlocking means upon the heads co-engaging when the said heads are brought together', means for releasing the interlocking means when the heads are brought away from each other, a pneumatic pipe connected with each of the heads, a valve seat having a cam member arranged thereon in each of the heads, a valve for said seat, a` l.am member upon said valve designed to co-act with the cam member of the ralveseat.y spring means for seating the valve, and means comprising contact elements designed to be actuated upon the rotary movement of the coupler heads to unseat the valve.

5. In a means for connecting two pneumatic or similar pipes, supports, spiral shafts pivoted to the supports and laterally movable thereon, hollow head members, sleeves having spiral grooves for each of the head members and arranged to engage with the spiral shafts, the ends of the sleeves being enlarged whereby to limit the longitudinal movement thereof with respect to the supports, tension means between the supports and the sleeves, cam-shaped directing fingers upon the ends of the heads, tapered tongues upon the ends of the heads, tapered grooves upon the ends of the heads, a pipe member communicating with each of the heads, a ported valve seat for each of the heads and having an inner cam-shaped surface, a valve having a cam-shaped surface co-engaging with the cam-shaped surface of the valve seats, a stem for each of the valves projecting centrally through the valve seats, spring means for normally retaining the valves seated, the valve stems having their outer ends formed with slotted heads providing lingers designed to interengage and by virtue of such engagement to simultaneously rotate with the turning of the heads and to be moved longitudinally away from each other when the cam surfaces of the valves are thus brought to travel over the cam surfaces of the valve seats in the unseating of the valves.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

LIBORIO C. BONELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

